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Alpacas are hardy creatures that can stay out all year round with a field shelter - although they probably won't use it!, but in high rainfall areas it is advisable to have somewhere to house them during prolonged periods of bad weather. They are herd animals so should be kept in a minimum group of 2 alpacas. 5/6 alpacas can be kept to an acre of good grazing. We feed haylage or hay during the winter plus Alfa A lite, an alfalfa horse product, with camelibra which contains all the minerals and vitamins that they require. Small amounts of feed are best as alpacas are good converters of protein and too much can cause stomach ulcers which can go undetected until too late.
We check their toenails approximately every couple of months and trim them if necessary. They are wormed and fluked twice a year along with vaccinations against clostridia diseases. We usually give our animals a vitamin injection early in the year. They are sheared once a year.
We have found standard stock fence to be perfectly adequate for the alpacas but have changed the barbed wire for plain wire. We have made catch areas between the paddocks where we can coral the alpacas and handle them in a small area. Due to their padded feet, unlike horses and sheep they do not poach the ground during the winter.
Alpaca gestation is approximately 11.5 months. Birthing is generally done during the day before late afternoon and is usually easy, only occasionally requiring assistance. Alpacas are induced ovulators ie. they don't come into season, the act of mating with a male induces the female to ovulate. Spring and summer births are preferred when the weather is kinder and there is plenty of good grass.
>>>Mating alpacas
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